[Calhoun, Ga.] Alloc’s laminate floor sales are up 40 percent one year after reestablishing itself here in the States with a 50,000 square foot warehouse, according to Patty Banwart, regional sales manager.

Alloc has always maintained a unique position within the category. Alloc and Wilsonart were the only two suppliers offering high-pressure laminate (HPL) floors suitable for heavy commercial applications when the economy turned in 2008. Alloc is the only supplier of its patented aluminum mechanical locking system — now available in a 5G fold-down format. Its aluminum locking system allows its laminate flooring to be installed 50 square feet before requiring transition joints to hold it in check. Traditional laminate flooring is limited to 30 square feet.

Having a durable HPL commercial-rated product that could be installed without unsightly transition joints and the wherewithal to pull the plug on an expensive transatlantic manufacturing model saved the company. “We never stood still. We kept refining our business model and realized we had to pull out of the U.S. and set up centralized distribution until the market got strong again,” said Banwart.

The market for high-end laminate is improving, according to Alloc dealers charging a premium for top-quality laminate guaranteed to stay put and beautiful under the toughest conditions.

“Today’s consumer is looking for something better than 49 cent laminate from a big box store,” said Harvey Johnson, owner of Miami-based Mastercraft Flooring Distributors. “Alloc is our differentiator. We can clearly demonstrate its superiority if the consumer decides she wants to buy a better product.”

Alloc services its distributors from its Calhoun warehouse but also with a Distributor-to-Distributor (D2D) program where distributors sell to each other as well.

“Each distributor customizes its own program and that’s a big deal,” said Banwart. “There are specific brochures for each distributor which may carry 45 SKUs or 60 SKUs and some 120 SKUs — whatever makes sense to them.”

While Alloc’s durable HPL aluminum locking products remain a hit, the company branched out this year with a new wide-body long laminate that’s nearly 7 feet long. Utilizing a non-aluminum drop lock system, the new Elegance Long Plank is AC-4 commercially rated.

Also new is Alloc Universal, a heavy-commercial HPL laminate in a traditional size format but also without an aluminum locking system.

“We offered some products without aluminum to lower the price point for small business owners who are cost conscious and want to install the product themselves,” said Banwart. “It’s still HPL and a superior product. You can walk all over it with muddy boots right off the street. You can do that every day and it will stand the test of time.”

Alloc has also entered the luxury vinyl tile (LVT) market with a one-of-a-kind product.

As the exclusive North American licensee of the Super-Click locking system, Alloc’s Dream Click LVT planks simply slide together, even using one’s feet.

“We looked at a few LVTs and Alloc’s was by far the nicest one we saw,” said Ray Rucier, residential product manager for Delaware-based Derr Flooring Company. “We’re doing really well with Dream Click. It’s taking off.”